Stranded canoeists rescued

Three canoeists who spent the night stranded on an island were this afternoon rescued amid poor weather conditions.

The group of two Irishmen and one Australian set out on a canoeing trip last night on Lough Corrib, Co Galway, where they became stranded on Black Rock Island.

A helicopter from Finner military camp in Co Donegal battled through winds of up to 70mph and poor visibility to rescue the group.

They were taken to University Hospital in Galway where their condition was not thought to be serious.

A lone yachtsman who got into difficulty off the Cork coast was also rescued by the emergency services this afternoon.

Meanwhile electricity crews were tonight on stand-by as weather conditions continued to worsen on the south and east coasts.

Earlier crews restored power to homes in Co Kerry, but further cuts were expected overnight.